Jabee and the Homeless Experience

Hip-hop artist helps raise awareness for City Care’s fundraiser

By Louise Scrivens

Emmy-winning Oklahoma hip-hop artist Jabee took to the streets for 24 hours to raise awareness and funds for the metro’s homeless.

“Being homeless is a full-time job. I couldn’t imagine trying to navigate through all of this, and trying to get from A to Z when you already don’t have anything,” Jabee says, adding: “I couldn’t imagine this being my life.”

The city standout, who spent part of his childhood homeless, will be performing and giving a personal account of the people he met and the stories they shared during his experience at City Care’s fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 7.

It’s the first fundraiser for the Oklahoma-based nonprofit organization, which aims to help stop the cycle of poverty by providing food and shelter for the homeless, and supportive housing for low-income families. The downtown-based organization also provides tutoring and mentoring for inner-city kids through itsWhiz Kids program.

City Care’s assistant director Rachel Hernandez said the organization’s Odyssey Project event has been six months in the planning.

“Our idea with The Odyssey Project was to engage the public in a new way. We invited Jabee to experience homelessness firsthand and share his thoughts,” adds Hernandez. “I hope event guests will leave educated, inspired and willing to share their time and resources with our most vulnerable Oklahoma City residents.”

Jabee says it often comes down to the simplest of matters: “You can’t get an ID without a birth certificate. You can’t get a birth certificate without an ID. What do you do? That’s real life. Apparently.”

Proceeds from The Odyssey Project event will support City Care's work with those facing homelessness, addiction and poverty, providing meals, case management, tutoring and affordable housing.

“The Odyssey Project event will be a magical night of food, drink, music and camaraderie, but with a very meaningful purpose,” says event chair Staci Sanger. “We hope to dispel some common misconceptions about homelessness, and open a dialogue that will lead to important changes in our community.”

More information on the event, set to be held at The Stone Barn at Blueberry Hill, can be found at TheOdysseyProjectOKC.com